Chapter 54: The Baron with a Stomach for Bait! Arrival at Naval Headquarters!

Chapter 54: Capturing the Baron of the Carnivorous Plant! Arrival at Navy Headquarters!

Zephar held the strategic ability known as the "Beast Breathing" in high regard.

Upon hearing Cruze's words, several names of elite naval soldiers suitable for learning the "Beast Breathing" quickly flashed through his mind, mainly those members of the training camp who had yet to master the Sixth Form: Iron Block.

Zephar was eager to witness the effects of "Beast Breathing" firsthand, to see if it was truly as formidable as Shuzo had described.

"Tomorrow morning, I will send Instructor Shuzo along with selected marine representatives to learn your 'Breathing Technique,'" Zephar promptly arranged the plan.

He was not concerned that today's operation would interfere with Cruze's future "Seven Warlords Undercover Plan."

In the eyes of the outside world, "Cruze Fate" was merely an obscure prince of a fallen kingdom, missing for over half a year, possibly dead somewhere in the vast sea.

Information about Cruze joining the Navy Elite Training Camp was virtually impossible to obtain!

Under such circumstances, Zephar launching Cruze on an undercover naval mission carried an extremely low risk of exposure.

To further minimize this risk, Zephar devised another small plan for Cruze to execute in the future.

When that plan unfolds, even the members of this training camp would believe that Cruze had truly "defected" from the Navy.

Zephar's careful schemes would undoubtedly reduce Cruze's exposure risk to the lowest possible level.

Hearing Zephar's arrangement, Cruze was slightly puzzled. "Does Instructor Zephar not intend to fully roll out the 'Beast Breathing' training immediately?"

"There's no rush," Zephar waved his hand and lightly revealed the training camp's next step.

"The ultimate survival training in the Boeing Archipelago has just concluded, and the camp is about to conduct a final combat assessment.

"The instructors will evaluate the members' rankings based on multiple comprehensive tests. So, let those guys rest for a while first."

Cruze accepted this explanation, feeling a subtle excitement.

'I wonder if the final combat test will allow one-on-one duels... just me single-handedly taking on a group of marines...'

...

Zephar's arrangements were swift and decisive.

Early the next morning, Instructor Shuzo arrived with the so-called "representative marines" to find Cruze.

"Cruze, Instructor Zephar assigned me and rookie Tina to learn your Breathing Technique!" Shuzo introduced the pink-haired beauty beside him — none other than Tina, who had mysteriously vanished for many chapters.

"Tina had been focusing on paper drawing and shaving techniques and had not yet begun Iron Block training. She is a very suitable candidate."

Indeed, she was very suitable.

Possessing the abilities of the Barrier Fruit, Tina ranked roughly in the second tier of the elite training camp, just behind the four true top soldiers: Cruze, Smaug, Virgo, and Sentomaru.

The key point was that she had not yet learned Iron Block!

This was even more important.

Both Zephar and Shuzo valued "Beast Breathing" for its ability to enhance the strength of basic marines, but they also recognized its training benefits for Iron Block.

"Long time no see, still as beautiful as ever, Miss Tina," Cruze greeted briefly before diving directly into teaching Beast Breathing.

The "Beast Breathing" was a breathing technique.

The "Sword Forms" were the names of breathing technique maneuvers.

Zephar valued the core of Beast Breathing itself and was unaware that it contained an additional eleven sword forms.

Cruze was no fool; he did not reveal all eleven sword forms of Beast Breathing outright.

After explaining the basic principles of Beast Breathing, Cruze only taught Shuzo and Tina one sword form:

Form Eight: Explosive Charge.

This was the well-known technique—“Boar Rush.”

An explosive burst of speed with a straightforward, headlong charge, perfectly suited for basic marines.

About half an hour later,

Instructor Shuzo, skilled in hand-to-hand combat and possessing excellent physical fitness, had grasped the key points of Beast Breathing and could even achieve a temporary "Full Concentration Breathing" state.

In contrast, Tina, lacking a strong foundation and with weaker physique, was somewhat clumsy.

Fortunately, her mental resilience was outstanding and she was not discouraged by Shuzo's rapid mastery of the technique.

"It feels like Beast Breathing doesn't enhance physical fitness as much as I imagined..." Shuzo asked Cruze with puzzlement after repeatedly entering Full Concentration Breathing.

"That's only because your physique is excellent!" Cruze replied sarcastically.

"I have always emphasized that Beast Breathing only benefits marines with weaker physical constitutions. At the lieutenant commander level and above, the effect of Beast Breathing is essentially negligible."

Someone like Cruze himself, whose overall strength had reached the officer rank, no longer gained physical enhancement from Beast Breathing's "Full Concentration - Normal" state.

After all, it was merely an E-rank ability...

One could not expect it to provide powerful boosts to C-rank experts.

Cruze reminded, "Instructor Shuzo, after learning the Full Concentration Breathing method, the next step is 'Full Concentration - Normal,' which means maintaining the fixed frequency of Beast Breathing continuously, 24/7."

"I understand!" Shuzo nodded earnestly, committing the information to memory.

Skipping over the easy-to-teach Shuzo, Cruze turned his attention to the more challenging Tina.

After another half hour,

Tina, the large pink-haired girl, finally touched the threshold of Beast Breathing under Cruze's thorough guidance.

One must admit that those with strong physiques and gifted intellects had an advantage when learning breathing techniques!

"Huff... breathe..."

Tina's heaving chest rose and fell vigorously, a long breath of mixed white mist escaping her cherry-red lips. Her sweat-drenched, flushed face clearly showed the strain on her stamina.

Based on Cruze’s judgment, Tina’s endurance attribute was around E-rank, right at the upper limit of what Beast Breathing could enhance.

But because of this, practicing Beast Breathing consumed a great deal of Tina’s physical strength.

"That's enough training for today."

Cruze checked Tina’s progress, paying little attention to Shuzo beside her.

"Tina, for the next three days, come to my room at this time every morning. I will test your training progress.

"If all goes well, after three days, you should master the basic 'Full Concentration Breathing' and then work on the 'Full Concentration - Normal' technique on your own."

With bright eyes, Tina nodded seriously.

"Tina understood!"

Even at her first encounter with Beast Breathing, she could feel the obvious enhancement to her physical fitness.

Tina valued this ability to grow stronger just by breathing.

For three consecutive days,

Shuzo and Tina unrelentingly sought Cruze’s teachings on everything about Beast Breathing.

Aside from the sword forms, Cruze taught them nearly all the Beast Breathing techniques he knew.

Instructor Shuzo fully mastered Beast Breathing; aside from being unable to maintain the "Full Concentration - Normal" state, his command of the technique was almost on par with Cruze.

At this point, it would be no problem to appoint Shuzo as the "Beast Breathing" instructor (just as Zephar planned).

Meanwhile, Tina could enter Full Concentration Breathing and was diligently working toward the Full Concentration - Normal state.

During these three days,

the survival training assessment results were announced, and Cruze, who had acquired Armament Haki, undoubtedly ranked first.

The combat assessment Zephar had mentioned also concluded, and Cruze easily defeated all other marines to claim the championship.

Based on multiple assessment scores,

Cruze, who had joined midway, surged ahead to become the top of this elite training camp.

Two days later,

Cruze’s holographic display finally popped up the long-awaited notification:

[You have slain a carnivorous plant rated B overall! (Baron of the Stomach)]

[You have obtained a B-rank "Victory Bait," which can be used to fish from the Dimensional Sea for B-rank talents, abilities, informational entries, or other miscellaneous items.]

Meanwhile, the Navy Elite Training Camp’s ship finally reached its ultimate destination:

Navy Headquarters, Marineford!

Special thanks to “Call Me Black Donkey” for the 200 Starting Coins reward!!

(End of Chapter)